Six Sinister Things That Stain Your Teeth | Monroe, LA

Is soda public enemy number one for your teeth? Spoiler alert, it’s not. You may be surprised by public enemy number one for your teeth.

All superheroes have an arch-enemy. Superman battles Lex Luthor, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. Batman tries to keep the Joker from burning down Gotham City. Spiderman faces a number of villains, often referred to as the Sinister Six.

But did you know your smile also faces a sister group of foods and beverages? These normally mild-mannered edibles can turn white teeth yellow, and leave unsightly stains on your precious teeth. In today’s blog from the Bayou Dental Group, in Monroe, LA, we’re going to look at six sinister things which can stain your smile.

Enemy #6: A Glass of Wine

We love wine. Really, who doesn’t? After a day at the office, I like to unwind with a nice glass of white wine. Chardonnay from the Napa Valley in California is quite nice. When I’m eating steak, I might wash it down with a nice glass of Malbec from the Mendoza region of Argentina.

Red wine contains a whole host of natural dyes and sugars from the grapes used to make it. In fact, you’ve probably noticed staining on your tongue. The same dyes that stain your tongue can have the same affect on your teeth, and the tannins in the wine can make your teeth stain more quickly as the dyes tend to stick to them.

Even white wine dukes it out with the whiteness of your teeth. Although it contains fewer dyes than red wine, it is still quite acidic. The acid in the wine breaks down the enamel of your teeth, which can allow other foods to stain them.

Enemy #5: Fresh Fruit

This one may surprise you, as eating fresh fruit should be part of a balanced diet. However, fresh fruit contains the same natural dyes as red wine. Imagine you have a handful of berries in your hand and you squeeze them; even after washing your hands, you might notice stains on your skin. This true for your teeth and the chewing of these fruit as well.

Enemy #4: Coffee

We drink a lot of coffee at the office. I imagine this is true throughout the region, hence the popularity of coffee shops. But coffee is notorious for staining your teeth. This staining is caused by the acidity of coffee, as it breaks down your enamel. This leaves microscopic pits and ridges all over your teeth.

Coffee is made from ground coffee beans, and though you may not see them, small particles of the beans remain in the coffee. These particles weasel their way into the pits and ridges of your teeth, and often stain them as a result.

Enemy #3: Sushi

Okay it’s not really the fish in sushi that wrecks havoc your teeth. Instead, it’s the garnishes that come with the sushi. Soy sauce is dark in color because of dyes within it, some of these are natural, some of them are artificial. They will all stain your teeth.

Wasabi naturally blocks the growth of bacteria, which would normally make it safe to enjoy without fear of staining your teeth. However, a lot of wasabi is now artificially-colored with green dyes. Just like the dyes in the soy sauce, these dyes will stain your teeth, especially if you are using a lot of soy sauce to balance out the heat.

Enemy #2: Soda

Soda ranks high this list because we all drink it so often. Take Coke or Pepsi, both are filled with artificial dyes and sugar. The dyes will stain your teeth, as the sugar causes them to decay. Even non-sugared, diet sodas and clear sodas pose a lot of problems as well. All sodas are extremely, extremely acidic. You’ve probably heard about how soda can remove rust from an engine? That’s not a myth. Just imagine what it’s doing to your teeth.

Enemy #1: Nicotine

So this isn’t really a food or a beverage, but we felt we should give you another reason to quit smoking. Cigarettes, as well as most smokeless tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and vaping devices all deliver a stream of nicotine and other chemicals into your mouth. These chemicals leave nasty stains that are nearly impossible to remove without professional help.